10 Heartbreaking Moments from the Trilogy

1. Realizing that the farm girl, Hilary, who is described in the #9 story about the Asari commando (actually huntress) in the video here, was in fact Joker's sister... and not being able to tell Joker about it when he brought up the attack on Tiptree as being one reason he generally knew there was a war on.

2. Realizing that one of the two nurses talking to each other in the Presidium Commons was one trying to help the above-mentioned Asari huntress and that she actually looked like Hilary (Joker's sister).

3. Realizing that the Asari woman trying to help the old woman find her missing son was actually that woman's daughter-in-law and the missing soldier was actually her husband... and that the old woman's alzheimer's was preventing them both from having someone close to share their worries with.

4. Realizing that the Turian talking to his wife in the Normandy docks at the beginning of the game had actually recommended that his family go to Sanctuary.

5. Realizing that Rupe Elkoss had probably saved Sara's life by recognizing that Sanctuary was most likely a scam and convincing her not to go there... and still wondering if that Sara was actually Ashley's younger sister Sara.

6. Realizing that the message from C. Talavi that you read when getting the Reaper artifacts from the Cerberus base on Sanctum was written by the little brother of the Private Talavi you hear talking with her commanding officer in the Normandy docks... the one who would rather be sent to fight reapers than Cerberus because of not wanting to encounter and have to kill her little brother... and then realizing that Shepard (depending on when one does the mission) may have killed her little brother already.

7. Reading the two messages found by the shuttles in Sanctuary and realizing that they were probably the last messages those people had sent to their loved ones and that, because Cerberus was blocking the signals, they had probably never been received.

8. Listening a little longer to the various units reporting in over the radio in the London FOB and hearing that one unit was reporting 100% KIA.

9. Realizing that there were exactly 5 people in the vehicle when Anderson said we'd be lucky to get even a handful of people through to the beam.

10. Being unable to stop Shepard from shooting Anderson while under TIM's influence and then hearing Anderson's final words... "You did good, son. I'm proud of you."

Whaat? I never knew she could commit suicide! I just watched a youtube video, it was so sad!

I don't know if I can think of ten. One that hasn't been mentioned yet is Legion's death.

When you kill Legion though, and Tali says something like "all it takes is killing... a friend" it's pretty hard to take.

For me, everything to do with Thane is raw.

I can't watch the video, but I always felt that the Turian officer disarming that bomb on Tuchanka, and then talking to the Primarch, his father, was a pretty wretched experience, no matter how I played that quest.

Jack, tortured to become a phantom Shepard kills, because I missed the GA mission was my personal heartbreak, because I did not do it on purpose! Damn it, my guy romanced her! Timed missions, ye gods!

I've also caught a bit in ME3, but lost it, that seemed to have been a follow up on that Krogan who courted an Asari in ME2. I felt it ended badly... maybe better I did not know. It was a cute bit in ME2...

I get that Tali would take a swan dive, but I have to say it was pathetic that she stood there doing nothing while the geth uploads the code. I mean she stabs the geth in the back when the thing attacks Shepard when the quarians are chosen.

Thane's death was perfect. Hit me right in the feels. It was such a good moment when i played ME3 the first time.

Saying goodbye to everyone at the end of 3. I had an indescribable feeling I've never had before, not even when tragedy occasionally hit IRL.

The Mass Relays richocheting before EC. Made me depressed and speechless.

Probably Mordin if he'd been one of my favorites in ME2 (which he wasn't), but he died because of that annoying 50/50 chance because he wasn't on my squad, so I had Padok Wiks and that obviously wasn't emotional at all.

I've always loved Legion's character. So naive about organic life, almost childlike.

Even though he lived on as part of the geth as a whole, his character and personality died. Made me very sad.

Ouch!  Nice catch, I didn't pick up on that at all.

(And some people say that this game wasn't dark enough...)

I'd heard that dialogue in both my playthroughs and still didn't put two and two together.

1. Kaidan dying (I only killed Ashley once).
2. Samara's daughter being turned in the a Adart Yakshi and then going on to sacrifice herself.
3. Thane dying
4. The message Thane leaves you after he dies (Citadel DLC).
5. Wrex dying (I only killed him once).
6. Mordin dying.
7. The ending of ME3.
8. Sheppard saying goodbye to her love interest.
9. Miranda dying.
10. Tali dying (Only happened once).

Those are the only ones I can think of right now.